CH 86

As Lucia was looking at the cloth in a hurry, Herwin hurriedly bent his knees and picked it up.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t have anything to tie it with, so I used some ribbon.”

Apparently, the ribbon he had used to subdue the thief earlier had been used to tie up this box.

“Luckily, it didn’t get too dirty.”

He flicked the dust off the cloth and folded it neatly. Suddenly, Herwin had a vision.

“Is this… cloth for a handkerchief?”

One color was new to him, but the other was all too familiar. He had a handkerchief made of it in his hands now.

“Are you going to make a handkerchief?”

Herwin’s heart swelled with anticipation; he had never known anyone other than Lucia and his family to give him a handkerchief.

Lucia thought for a moment, then nodded.

“Who are you giving it to?”

“……Bern.”

His excitement quickly subsided. Herwin’s lips twitched, unable to control his expression for a moment.

“It’s the summer festival, and I’ll give him the handkerchief at the hunting festival.”

“You’re giving it to …… the Marquis.”

Anyone listening could tell that Herwin’s voice was cold. Like someone caught cheating, Lucia couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes.

A heavy sigh settled over Lucia’s head as she looked down and fumbled.

“Then make me a handkerchief, too.”

The words came out a little bluntly, and Lucia looked up, startled.

His lips were pouting out in a pained expression.

“You too?”

“Yes, make me one.”

“……why would I?”

Herwin’s eyebrows wiggled. Lucia was under no obligation to make him a handkerchief, but he wanted one.

“I caught the thief, so you owe me a handkerchief.”

“Don’t be silly, and don’t you know what it means for a woman to give a handkerchief at a hunting festival?”

When a woman gives a handkerchief to a man who is going hunting, it means wishing him well, but it is usually only given to lovers or family members.

Sometimes a woman would give a handkerchief to a man she didn’t know, but only if she was interested in him.

But a woman with a fiancé giving a handkerchief to another man on a whim? It was an inappropriate relationship.

She doesn’t think Herwin doesn’t know this.

“I know. So do it for me.”

“Herwin.”

“I’ll look forward to it, thinking you’re making it.”

“Now, wait.”

Herwin turned away without hearing Lucia’s answer. Before she knew it, he’d gathered up Lucia’s things.

No matter how much Lucia screamed behind him that she couldn’t or wouldn’t do it, Herwin didn’t even pretend to listen.

The argument continued until Lucia was in the carriage.

“Herwin, I told you clearly that I wasn’t going to make it!”

“Yes, you’re going to make it pretty, okay?”

“Really! You’re going to do that?!”

Lucia finally lost her temper, and Herwin stiffened his face. He stood halfway up to the carriage door and leaned in close to Lucia’s face.

“I never want to see you give a handkerchief to any man but me.”

Lucia swallowed hard at the pressure she felt right under her nose. Herwin stared at her for a long moment, then broke his stare and kissed her cheek briefly.

Lucia wrapped her cheeks and screamed silently.

“Goodbye. I’ll see you later.”

Herwin closed the door and the carriage began to move. When Lucia hurriedly turned around to look back at him, Herwin smiled slyly and waved.

Only when the carriage was completely out of sight did Herwin stiffen.

“Summer Festival…….”

He hadn’t realized it, but it was a summer festival. He didn’t usually go to such things, but this time he felt compelled to attend.

“I didn’t think he was an athletic person.”

Thinking of Bern, Herwin laughed wryly. At the hunting festival, he was going to press the Marquis’ nose to the ground and present it to Lucia as if to see it.

Herwin hummed, feeling good at the thought of pressing Bern’s spirits.

* * *

“Sean, do you think this makes sense, what the hell is Herwin thinking!”

“Yeah, it makes no sense.”

“Well, let me tell you something. Sean, you’ll never make a Herwin handkerchief, either.”

As soon as they got back to the mansion, Lucia sulked and told Sean what had happened today.

For some reason, Lucia is complaining, but Sean, who judged that it was better to listen to this with one ear and spill it with the other, responded by organizing the items Lucia bought.

Lucia’s indignation was not lost on her.

“Are you going to embroider it right away?”

“I don’t know what it is about me that makes him so eager to take my handkerchief.”

Lucia continued to mumble, lost in her world. Sean naturally arranged the seat so that Lucia could place the embroidery. 

Lucia mumbled to herself, but before she knew it, she was tracing patterns with chalk on the cloth she’d bought today.

“He’s still using the one I gave him last time, so why does he need another one…….”

“Maybe he’s hungry for your love.”

Sean finally spoke up after a long moment of grumbling. Lucia paused, her face as red as a tomato.

“Isn’t that what you wanted me to say?”

“Well, that can’t be right!”

“Really? To my ears, it sounded like you wanted me to say that Master Phoenaeus is in love with you.”

“Sean, you’re kidding me, aren’t you?”

“If it sounded like a joke, it was.”

Lucia blew into her cheeks at the blunt reply. Lucia grumbled that she didn’t understand her, but Sean could see it in her eyes.

Her ears turned red.

“Sean, you seem too cold for me these days. You listened to me well last time.”

“That was once or twice, and now you’re acting all grumpy.”

“When did I?”

“Now.”

“I’m …… done. I’m not talking to you.”

Lucia finally snapped, realizing she couldn’t win with Sean. Lucia picked up the needle with her pouting mouth and was about to release the stitches when Sean’s hand appeared from beside her.

“Why. Do you have something to say to me?”

A whiny tone came out of Lucia’s mouth. However, her expression was a little strange.

She was wearing a meaningful expression that was somewhere between bewilderment and embarrassment.

“I think you should fix that before you start sewing.”

“Huh? Like what?”

She followed her gesture and saw the fabric Lucia had drawn with chalk. After staring down at her fabric for a while, Lucia realized what she had done.

“This is……!”

“So, after all that talk about Phoenaeus… I thought you said you won’t make handkerchiefs for him?”

“This, this is a misunderstanding!”

What was on the cloth was none other than that of the Phoenaeus family. Furthermore, Herwin’s initials were emblazoned on the hem of the cloth.

Her hand moved instinctively. As Lucia hastened to excuse herself, she could see Sean’s salty eyes…

“You’re such a young lady.”

Embarrassed, Lucia couldn’t say anything and busied herself with erasing the chalk marks on the fabric. 

“Don’t do that, just make a handkerchief for Master Phoenaeus.”

“Sean!”

“As far as I can see, you haven’t gotten over him yet.”

“Ha, but I’m engaged to be married, I shouldn’t.”

“Still, didn’t you tell me that Master Phoenaeus confessed to you the other day, it seems like something happened with him again today.”

“That’s…….”

Lucia stammered, unable to finish. 

Lucia tended to keep her affairs to herself, but Sean knew from the rumors that had spread among the servants that she had confessed to Herwin long ago.

As far as Sean could tell, Lucia still held feelings for Herwin. She was trying to make up her mind, but after Herwin’s confession, she faltered.

She felt sorry for Lucia, who couldn’t act on her terms.

“Lady. You’re only getting engaged, not married, and if you’re engaged, there’s plenty of room to break it off.”

“……….”

“Wouldn’t it be better to break off the marriage than to get engaged while still being shaken by Master Phoenaeus? It might be better for you and Marquis Casper.”

“But didn’t I the first to say we should be engaged first…….”

“If you force an engagement out of guilt while you still have someone else in your heart, it might hurt the other person more.”

Lucia clenched her jaw as she listened to Sean’s words. She knew what she was saying. But as she said, things weren’t going to be as easy as she’d hoped.

There were already too many interests at stake to break off the engagement so easily.

“I’ve got this. Just give me the chalk.”

Lucia took the chalk from Sean and looked down at the cloth. The rust-colored cloth was dull and crumpled from the chalk she’d rubbed into it. 

Lucia cringed as if she could see her mind.

* * *

Ares’ office. 

A shadow fell over Arista, who was busy helping Ares with his work.

“Arista.”

“Yes, brother, what is it?”

It was Lucas who approached Arista, smiling broadly and handing her something.

It was a cake from the most famous bakery in the capital. Arista took it with a puzzled expression.

“You’re giving it to me?”

“Yes. You listened to my story the other day, so this is for you. You like cheesecake, right?”

“I do, but…….”

Arista smiled awkwardly, though she was happy to get a gift from Lucas.

“I haven’t even finished the cookies my brother gave me yesterday…….”

It’s been more than a week since she listened to Lucas’ troubles. He continued to bombard Arista with gifts.

He wanted to thank her for listening. At first, Arista was happy to accept, but the daily barrage of small gifts began to feel overwhelming.

“Oh, didn’t you? Oh, well, I still got you something, eat it, or do you want some tea now that it’s break time?”

She checked her watch, and it was the perfect time for tea. Arista nodded and stood up, Lucas following close behind her.

There was a person who kept looking at the strange two.

“Lucas, did you do something wrong to her?”

It was Ares. Ares looked Lucas up and down, frowning as if he’d just seen something grotesque.

Then Lucas stiffened and glared at Ares as if he’d been smiling all along.

“What did I do?”

“What did you do? You’ve been hovering around Arista like an attention-hungry dog these past few days. What’s been going on behind my back?”

“Nothing. I just told her about my sister the other day, that’s all, right?”

Arista, who was embarrassed without realizing it, stammered and looked at Lucas. Lucas, who was having a snowball fight with Ares, smiled broadly as soon as he saw Arista.

“Yeah, I can’t tell you how much she helped me the other day. I made peace with my parents and Lucia because of her.”

He was just being grateful, but for some reason, Arista felt like Lucas thought she was special.

Arista hurriedly unwrapped the cake Lucas had bought for her, afraid to blush.

“Wow, this looks delicious. Let’s eat.”

“Wait. I’ll get the tea.”

Ares scratched his head as he watched Arista hurriedly turn around and Lucas goes to get the tea with a blank expression on his face.

“This is weird, to say the least…….”

“It’s not weird, you should come too. Otherwise, I and my brother will eat it all.”

Hearing Arista’s words, Ares made a fat face.

“Hey.”

“Why.”

“Why is Lucas called ‘brother’ and I’m ‘you’.”

Arista narrowed her eyes at Ares. He was crossing his arms as if he didn’t like the fact that he and Lucas were called differently, and Arista laughed at him.

“Do you want to be called big brother by me?”

“Not really, but you and Lucas are such a temperature difference!”

“That’s because you and brother are different.”

“I’m not different. If anything, I’m better than him, who lives in a flower garden.”

Ares grumbled and sat down next to Arista, who shook her head and pouted as he took a bite of cheesecake.

“If you want to hear me call you brother, I’ll give it to you. Brother!”

“Forget it, it’s not like I’m going to bow down.”

While Ares and Arista were still bickering, the door to the office opened. Arista turned to see Lucas.

“What’s up? The …….”

Arista couldn’t finish her sentence. 

“Oh, my God, you’re here, too.”

Next to Lucas was Becky, his lover.